2024: Transportation from Potsdam to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)

Getting to the new Berlin Brandenburg International Airport from Potsdam on public transportation is easiest, fastest, and cheapest by train but a direct express bus is also available.

Train and Bus Map and Routes from Potsdam to Berlin Airport — Note: Old map — routes and numbers have changed slightly © VBB

Hourly direct RB22 trains from Berlin Brandenburg Willy Brandt Airport (BER) offer the simplest way to travel to Potsdam near Berlin. Traveling via Berlin Hauptbahnhof or by S-Bahn is possible but takes longer and costs more. A direct airport shuttle express bus — BER2 — is also available but costs significantly more.

The direct RB22 train from Potsdam to Berlin Brandenburg Airport requires a Berlin public transportation BC ticket costing €4. Traveling via Berlin itself requires an ABC ticket costing €4.40. The Berlin Welcome Card ABC version includes transportation and discounts on attractions in Potsdam and Berlin.

By Direct Train from Berlin Brandenburg Airport to Potsdam

A direct RB22 train from Potsdam to Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg provides the easiest, fastest, and cheapest transportation to Berlin’s International Airport (BER). Travelers to Potsdam no longer have to transit via central Berlin on S-Bahn trains to get to the airport, although that remains an option with departures several times per hour.

The Regionalbahn (RB22) trains from Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg Airport to Potsdam may have Potsdam, Griebnitzsee, or Friedrichstraße as the final destination. From the airport, take any RB22 that does not have Königs Wusterhausen as the destination, while to the airport all trains have Königs Wusterhausen as the final destination.

The direct train from Potsdam to Berlin Brandenburg Airport runs hourly and takes only around 50 minutes. The RB22 trains from Potsdam to the airport run roughly hourly from around 04:00 am to around midnight. Traveling outside these hours requires multiple transfers but it is possible to reach the airport at all hours of the night.

The RB22 trains from Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) stop up to four times at Potsdam stations: Golm, Park Sanssouci, Charlottenhof, and finally at Potsdam Hauptbahnhof (central main station). Note that the train changes the direction of travel at Golm.

The train station in the basement of Berlin Brandenburg Airport is officially station “Flughafen BER” — Terminal 1 — 2 were dropped from the name seeing that Terminal 5 is permanently closed. (RB22 trains do not stop at Schönefeld (previously BER – Terminal 5.)

Travel from Berlin Brandenburg Airport to Potsdam via Berlin

The direct RB22 train is the fastest, cheapest, and most convenient way to travel from Berlin Brandenburg Airport to Potsdam but as it runs only once per hour, the more frequent alternatives via Berlin are also worth considering. Note that traveling to Potsdam via Berlin requires an ABC ticket and sometimes a transfer.

The basic routing from Berlin Brandenburg Airport to Potsdam via Berlin is on any Airport Express train (FEX, RB23, or RE8 from the airport to Ostkreuz. Change here to a train to Potsdam — RE1 is the fastest and S7 is more frequent. Traveling time is usually just over an hour. Other options are available but avoid any requiring more than one transfer.

Airport Shuttle Express Bus BER2 to Potsdam from Berlin Airport

A direct airport shuttle express bus BER2 connects Berlin Airport (Terminal 1-2) with Potsdam Hauptbahnhof up to 15 times per day. En route, it stops only in Stahnsdorf and Teltow. Traveling time is around an hour with the bus services timed to alternate with the direct RB22 trains.

The BER2 bus is however much more expensive. It requires a regular BC bus fare plus a “comfort surcharge” of €6 for a total of €10. It may be convenient, especially if traveling with luggage, but many travelers may do better using the S-Bahn via central Berlin.

See also Transportation to Berlin Brandenburg Airport for getting to the airport from other parts of Berlin and the Airport Express for the convenient train connection to Berlin Hauptbahnhof and other destinations in the center of Berlin.

Transportation to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)

Public transportation from Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) to Berlin generally requires an ABC ticket — €4.40 in 2024. Many further deals and passes are available to travelers.